The law gave DHHS authority to enforce performance standards at each county, and for DHHS to take over DSS offices that chronically underperform an authority DHHS used a few months later when it took over Cherokee Countys child welfare division. As an agency that works with parents experiencing substance use disorder and children exposed to multiple dangers every day, our agency would never give that guidance.. Blevins said confidentiality laws, as well as state rules surrounding personnel information, prevent him from saying more without a judges intervention. Officers discovered hundreds of used needles along with drugs in the room. But the foster care residence was in unincorporated Transylvania County, not the city of Brevard. Much to lawmakers chagrin,Blevins could not confirm or deny anythingin the police report due to strict laws protecting the privacy of the girl and her family. Noyes questions, among other things, why the children were placed with him rather than her and why his substance abuse issues were not adequately investigated by DSS. 39. The North Carolina General Assembly meets in the State Legislative Building in Raleigh, seen here in Feb. 2018. Prosecutors filed additional charges, including incest, aiding and abetting incest, child prostitution and other felony sex offenses involving multiple close relatives. The officer hung up, and the DSS worker called back and asked him to complete the report. Low counties are clustered in the rural northeastern counties, which typically have very low populations. Addison was placed in foster care in Transylvania County. Buncombe County Health Department . Records from Reeves communications during the final weeks of her life show that she was repeatedly at odds with DSS agents over her son, though what she knew about his location was not clear. The statute requires that anyone having reason to believe that a disabled person is in need of protective service shall report such information to the director of the Social Work Services. But the grandmother said she could not care for Addison, Reeves younger child, at that time. Cumberland DSS has a fiduciary budget of $715 million, an operating budget of over $65 million, and nearly 716 employees, who work in seven sections. You may remain anonymous but we encourage you to give us your name in the event additional information is needed. He helped implement Workday, the county's primary financial accounting system, in 2017, then formally joined the Finance Department in 2019 as a financial planning and analysis manager. The legal and bureaucratic system surrounding child removals can be difficult to navigate, so that even social workers from one county may find aspects of how things are done in another county quite alien, and the average person is unable to make sense of whats happening. Noyes said she continues to work with her daughter to regain custody of the children but has become disappointed by the process. Court records from the case show that the judge recognized the ultimate goal of reuniting the boy with his family when possible, and while the fathers rights had been terminated, Reeves rights were intact. Asheville, NC 28802 No subpoena is necessary.. But often county level workers fail to appropriately rank the risk of a case, according to a legislative report completed last year. She was concerned the children could be injured if he attacked her. Hey, look around, look around, are Our Schools working ? In almost all cases where a child is young or at immediate risk, child welfare workers are required to respond immediately. Men Against the Women!! Buncombe County Social Service Department Suggest Edit Address 40 Coxe Avenue, # G Asheville , North Carolina , 28801 Phone 828-250-5500 Fax 828-255-5845 Hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Map of Buncombe County Social Service Department View map of Buncombe County Social Service Department, and get driving directions from your location. The legal and bureaucratic system surrounding child removals can be difficult to navigate, so that even social workers from one county may find aspects of how things are done in another county quite alien, and the average person is unable to make sense of whats happening. Those removing children at two-thirds the state rate are considered low, and those removing at less than half the state rate are considered very low. Questions or comments? His grandmother and aunt told CPP that they would have taken him so that he could grow up alongside his brother, but no one from DSS contacted them. In addition, the intake procedures can be arduous, and repetitive questions can fluster those reporting suspected child maltreatment. If you have an update to county agency information, please email dssweb@dhhs.nc.gov. Buncombe County spokeswoman Lillian Govus said unless the subpoena is from a judge, Blevins couldnt testify about the particulars even if the meeting is behind closed doors. The Purpose of Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to strengthen our communities by advancing health, safety, and opportunity. Many of the counties with very low rates or rates in the middle also experience poverty. If it is an emergency, an on-call social worker is available after regular business hours and weekends. 90,126. Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. Contact him at ftaylor@carolinapublicpress.org. A grand jury first indicted the mother for neglect in 2015. The assessment includes evaluating six areas: During the course of the evaluation the Social Worker will talk with the adult, collaterals, and use whatever resources necessary to determine whether the adult is in need of protection. Buncombe County DSS Mr. Stoney Blevins, Director 828-250-5588. Your email address will not be published. Franklin. I ended the phone call.. Each of North Carolina's 100 counties has a local social services agency. Family members had warned social workers multiple times she was in danger and had received no response from DSS, according to the Smoky Mountain News. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A good many are probably false or contain half-truths. Then, using the child population of each county during the year in question, reporters calculated the percentage of children removed in a given year. Jim Perry is so clueless: the purpose of an oversight committee is to provide oversight and rude. He said he is lucky that the county is already in such a strong financial position so that he can focus on proactive instead of reactive work. Don Warn, 53, who was the Buncombe County finance director since November 2018, recently left Buncombe County to go to Guilford County, where he started on Feb. 13, according to a. Please join us! But what to do with the 9-year-old girl? It was unclear whether photos documenting bruises were taken immediately or later, but they showed far less bruising than the family remembered seeing. The DSS worker called back and asked him to help complete the intake report. Blevins challenged the accuracy of a Black Mountain Police Departments report that had led to the request for him to appear before legislators. Did you like this story? Thank you! Directors and Program Managers. A grand jury first indicted the mother for neglect in 2015. A week later, the mother of two was found dead in a New Jersey motel room. If you have any questions you may call or come into our office located at 35 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC. Key Staff Polk County Health and Human Services Director: Joshua Kennedy. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Although she filed a complaint, she said it was not taken seriously. Reporting like this isnt free to produce and we cannot do this alone. Social Worker Buncombe Family and Children's Services I apologize that I cant answer, Blevins said. Its regretful there were some communications mishaps, said Cherokee County DSS Director Amanda McGee in a later interview on WKRK, a radio station in Murphy. For several months DSS did not produce confidential child welfare records for a criminal case after the DAs office sought them. Trouble in Paradise for Sure!!! Inside were three adults and a 9-year-old girl, the police report of the traffic stop says. At one point, we were having upwards of 400 babies a year born at Mission Hospital with illicit drugs in their system, Blevins said. A later independent investigation into Moore Countys Department of Social Services revealed that overworked caseworkers did not visit the mother as they were supposed to, and the department did not properly supervise its caseworkers to ensure they followed state law and policy, according to the Fayetteville Observer. Confidentiality rules intended to protect children present challenges for investigating allegations of DSS misconduct. This project was produced for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalisms 2020 Data Fellowship. Must be able to understand and prioritize work to adhere to County, State and Federal timeframes. Emergency Phone: 828-250-5500Website, Administrative Assistant: Christa Lance,828-250-5587, Business Officer/ Fiscal/Performance Manager: Lisa White,828-250-5802, Operation Manager: Leigh Anderson,828-250-5575, Economic Services Division Director: Phillip Hardin,828-250-5592, Social Work Services Division Director/Foster Care & Adoptions Program Administrator: Rebecca Smith,828-250-5764, Permanency Planning: Amber Cook, 828-250-5824, CPS Intake/Investigations: Sherrie Thomas, 828-250-5843 ; Trina Hill, 828-250-5249, Licensing & Adoptions: Lizzi Shimer, 828-250-5277, Adult Services: Jennifer Teague, 828-250-5198, Quality Assurance, Program Administrator: Kelli Buckner,828-250-5987, Quality Assurance, Social Work Performance Standards: Alison Mann,828-250-5788, Family & Adult Medicaid Program Administrator: Ian Allen,828-250-5628, FNS/Program Integrity/Community Resources: Patricia Wallin,828-250-5689, FNS/Technical Support/Training: Denise Lancaster,828-250-5639, Child Support Enforcement: At the expense of our Childrens Future!!! Those removing children at two-thirds the state rate are considered low, and those removing at less than half the state rate are considered very low. He was making a salary of $161,785.44, according to a public records request. To help people know where to go if they suspect maltreatment or self-neglect, this rack card was created by BCHHS. NC Department of Health and Human Services 2001 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2000. Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030 Visit RelayNC for information about TTY services. Yourtax-deductible donationwill advance our mission of supporting journalism as a catalyst for change. Social workers removed children seized over a mark from a supposed beating, even though there was no evidence of the mark.